Working Moms, You Are Now Declared Guilt Free!

Blog Submitted by Palak Shah

Photo by CoWomen on Unsplash

There is hardly any mother who has not been bitten by the guilt bug. More so, it is the case with the working moms who often get entangled in the trap of remorse and regret. The guilt of not being by the side of your children when they needed you the most, missing those important family occasions and most common is missing those wonderful moments of your growing children. But, are the guilt and the negative emotions worthy at all? Not at all, in fact being a working women and a working mother is a choice and not a sacrifice. Why not keep this few tips in your mind and set yourself free from guilt.

• Guilt might be just a perception

I came across a beautiful story while reading the book, “Lady, You’re not a Man” by Apurva Purohit. The story is about a frustrated working mom who thinks she is a horrible mom. She says that she is so occupied in the morning that she would press his son’s uniform just a few minutes before he dresses up. But what she never realized that his son never complained on this aspect. But she took it all to herself. One day when she came across what his son had written in an essay given in a school, she could hardly believe it. His son was asked to write an essay on Happiness and he had written a beautiful note and added this small line which said, “Happiness is wearing a warm and freshly pressed shirt on cold winter morning”.

• Look who is learning from you

As per an article published in the HBR (The Harvard Business Review), there is a positive correlation between a working mother and future success of daughters in workplace and for sons in the home front. Before you fathom this you reckon that you are already a role model for your children. Being a confident mother who can manage home as well as work will definitely have a positive impact on not only your children but the entire family. So, leaving the guilt behind why not set an example of being women of substance

• Grass in not greener on the other side

Many working mothers often envy the luxury of being a stay at home mom. Thinking that it is so easy to just be with the children all the time and simply chill. Well, well!! This is totally untrue. Each and every role has its own set of challenges. The role that a stay at home mom plays is equally and often times more challenging than that of a working mom, as the former gets no holidays!

It is also proven that 99 percent of people who are asked to swap their problems with others often end up wanting their own problems back. It is always difficult to fit into someone else’s shoes, Right?

• Less is always more

Worrying about not spending enough time with your children always tops the list in the chart of a guilt ridden mom. But the fact is the lesser time you spend more quality laden it is. Instead of spending a whole day with no agenda, you surely know what important things to squeeze in a limited time frame. When you made a decision to pursue your career, you knew that there will be trade-offs. Life will always be about choosing the best option in available circumstances.

• Be a deaf and mute spectator

When it comes to dealing with the outside world one should always lend a deaf ear to the criticism and be mute enough so as not to judge others. The modern world has raised the bar of parenting to a new and high level and how much ever one tries, no one can don the hat of a picture perfect parent. You are your best judge and know what is best for you and your children. Let the critics criticise and gossip mongers gossip, Lady! You are the boss…

So, all the working moms out there take a deep breath and take your life ahead with a pinch of salt. We are eager to hear your success stories and your best practices to reduce the working mom guilt.

Palak Shah is a dreamer and a believer. She is a happily married woman madly in love with another man (her son). A keen observer and madly in love with words, at The Mom Store she is trying to pen down her innumerable learning from the most surreal experience of life- motherhood and parenting